Easter is as important for Greeks as Christmas is for Western Europeans and is traditionally spent at home with the family in a round of sumptuous meals and drinking following a midnight mass and lighting the candle that symbolises the resurrected Christ.

But this year's Easter, which arrives next Sunday, looks like being an austere affair and is bound to a "poor" one in Greece, where the economic recession is now in its fourth consecutive year, as the country remains in what appears the unbreakable grip of an economic crisis.

The exodus of Greeks from the major cities for family reunions in their home towns and villages has continued today after the 48-hour strike of maritime workers that spanned Tuesday and Wednesday came to an end. The strike created much disruption for those heading out to the islands. Ferries returned to normal operation yesterday, but the two-day interruption in service during Holy Week and coinciding with the traditional time for the arrival of the first foreign tourists has come as another blow to the island tourism industry.

There are signs of a reduced flow in this year's Easter exodus because whether you go by ferry or by car, travel costs. This mood is also being felt in the kitchen. Shortage of cash is forcing Greeks to buy only the bare necessities despite the fact that, according to the Greek National Retailing Confederation (ESEE), the ingredients for a traditional Easter dinner should cost 10.5% less than last year.

ESEE has carried out a study by sampling food prices in street markets, supermarkets and in Athens' central market. It shows that prices for meat and vegetables have fallen slightly on last year, in order to adapt to an anticipated fall in demand. But despite these lower prices, retailers are expecting turnovers to fall considerably due to the recession this East, with a total expected drop to around 4.5 billion euros compared to last year's five billion.

According to a survey conducted by KEPKA, (the centre for consumer protection), putting a traditional Easter dinner on the table will cost Greek households between 75 and 156 euros. The calculations made by KEPKA are basded on a dinner for 8-10 persons comprising an antipasto of "maghiritsa" (a broth based on lamb offal), two first courses which have to include the traditional spit-roast lamb - the main Easter Sunday fare - or oven roast lamb ("kleftiko"), "tsoureki", a sweet bread resembling a brioche, obviously hard-boiled eggs with their shells dyed red, sweets, fruit and the obligatory ouzo, the nation aniseed spirits.

On the basis of prices for these ingredients in the markets of Thessaloniki, Greece's second most populous city, KEPKA advised consumers to do the rounds of the shops before making a purchase as this could lead to great savings. The cost of two "tsourekis", for examply, could vary between 8.88 and 23 euros, 50 eggs can set you back between 6.50 and 29 euros and three kilos of lamb, depending on the butcher, can cost anywhere between 16.47 and 26.85 euros. In short, according to KEPKA a canny consumer could save up to 16% on what they paid for last year's Easter banquet.